While this story may be long, it may prove to help prevent you from
embarking on a hunt that may make the hunter become the hunted.
Read on if you dare, learn a little about someone...or something
that has captured the imaginations...and nightmares of many!
The legend has all but disappeared now; few still recall the
legend of Redfoot. What once was passed on as folklore or Urban
Legend will finally receive the credit it deserves.
In November of 1952 a little boy was brought into this world
without much hope. In the cold of night, without shelter from the
rain above, only a dirt floor to seek comfort, an elderly lady
named Edna grabbed her husband's hand as her final push sent her
son to the dirt floor. The boy's father, George, quickly grabbed
the boy up and inspected him. Without medical care, proper
facilities or any knowledge of how to care for a newborn, the
parents held their baby, who truly had a face only a mother could
love.
The father stood over 6 feet, 6 inches tall, Orange hair with a
scruffy beard and hair nearly covering every part of his body. His
common law wife, Edna, stood nearly 6 feet 3 inches tall if it was
not for her severe spinal twist. Her long flowing red hair doubled
as her baby's first blanket. Sean Daniels he was named.
The family lived at this time far West into the Glades, but with
the new baby felt it necessary to move further East, ending up in
the North Redlands area. Far enough from people but close enough to
prosper from supplies and food. At the age of 3 Sean captured his
first rabbit. His catch was brought back to his wood shack which
was nothing more than plywood and fallen trees from various storms.
The shack was not enough to keep the bugs, wildlife or even the
rain out.
The floor made of dirt, beds made of scrap pieces people dump in
the Glades and the bathroom was the nearest bush. This was life as
they know it. Not the life you may be used to. The Everglades in
the 1950's was not the civilized place you know it to be today
(just kidding). It was far more desolate and wild.
Sean killed his first gator at age 5, and nearly lost his life
at age 9 from a gator just the same. At age 9 he was capable of
catching most types of food in the Everglades. Snakes, Gators, Fish
and Rodents were the norm. These skills were put to the test when
his father died when he was at age 10 from kidney failure. Buried
out back by the mother and Sean, the family pressed on. Later that
year his mother passed on from a horrible staph infection leaving
Sean to fend for himself.
Unable to read or write, fearing human contact, Sean went
further into seclusion. Living off the land and doing what he had
to do to survive. He was discovered by a local farmer in the
Redlands while he was killing one of his chickens. Face full of
blood, the farmer stood in fear looking at a 10 year old that was
already nearly 6 feet tall, hair on his head as long as his arms.
The boy was turned over to authorities where he was placed into a
foster home. Stories flew around for years about the wild child
from the Glades.
In 1970, at the age of 18 he was released and was allowed to
walk out on his own accord. He still lacked social skills or the
ability to read or write. He walked over 20 miles to get back to
his home. The shack now just old rotted trees and plywood was a
home to local partiers. He fell asleep on the same dirt floor he
was born to, having his first good night sleep in 8 years.
The area began to see life, more farms and people. He
disappeared into the Glades and was not seen from until the summer
of 1980, 10 years later. All but forgotten, only a few people even
remembering stories of the wild child from the Glades. A group of
campers were night hiking and stumbled upon Sean skinning an
animal. The hikers described him as a giant, VERY full, bushy read
hair down to his hips. A full beard hanging to his chest and a red
tint that nearly shined in the dark. He only wore tattered rags for
clothes. Feeling threatened, Sean grunted and made threatening
gestures towards the hikers. Scared to death the hikers took off
back to their campsite and high tailed it back to the nearest
police station. When authorities accompanied a hiker with the camp
ranger the next day, they only found traces of long red hair and
HUGE foot prints, substantiating the hiker's story. For months
stories floated around and people went on sightings for the new
"Redfoot" in the Redlands.
The story began a life of its own, growing legs and making it
into several area papers. Passed off again as a local legend, the
stories eventually disappeared and went away. In December of 1993,
having made it through Hurricane Andrew, barely surviving because
most of the people left, animals and food supplies were scarce,
Redfoot was forced back out of hiding. At this time he is now 41
years old, his health not doing well, he began seeking out whatever
food he could. The local campground which was a home site for those
left homeless from Andrew was a great place to scrounge for food
from trash.
When campers started disappearing from the same campground,
people started taking notice. Only when a local farmer reported
that a panther was killing his livestock did the first indication
Redfoot was still alive present itself. Once again red hair and
HUGE footprints were found. A manhunt was initiated and nothing
turned up.
Now we sit here, October of 2007. If alive he would be 55 years
old. I would imagine he is unable to hunt for wild animals, too
tired to go scrounging through trash cans. I am sure he lies in
wait for far more unintelligent animals to wander to him, more
stationary ones, human ones. He is rumored to have fled to the area
the cache is now at, in a area no local dares to go. He stays near
where his mother was buried, standing watch over her protecting her
from wandering people. It is also well known in the community now
developed with agricultural and tree farms that he is still around.
A farmer's son recently informed a local authority that his
grandfather has been offering food and scraps to this Beast of a
man in order to keep him away from his farm. It is probably just
rumors; I would ignore the legend and just go get the cache!
Go and enjoy your hunt, just remember...DO NOT become the
hunted!
* * WARNING 1* * There have been bees spotted in the vicinity of
the cache, if you are allergic, please proceed cautiously or bring
another sacrifice...I mean helper.
* * Warning 2* * Please exercise caution when involving
children, not only will this give them nightmares, but may scare
them too much...Redfoot is not a myth!
Anyone spotting Redfoot should try and get a picture, while
escaping with your life of course! Please return the cache EXACTLY
as you found it for others to find. Before posting pics, please
send to me first for approval.
First to find gets a trophy and AN UNACTIVATED SOUTH FLORIDA
GEOCACHER'S CUSTOM COIN!!! Ribbons for 2nd and 3rd to find.
This cache was hidden by a proud member of
